I love this idea of embracing one’s darkness instead of denying or hiding it. Telling the truth about yourself (even if you’re just telling yourself; that is enough) is liberating. To look at your insecurities, and instead of putting them even deeper in the darkness where they cannot be seen, you shed enormous amounts of light on them.

It is liberating, this celebration called the truth. I am in the process of writing a novel and I have been learning better how wield this particular sword over the last few years. LEARNING (by no means an expert). But what I will say is that this mentality, which is one of acceptance and transcendence, it has begun to shift the way I see the world. In subtle ways, and more prominent ones too. I find our darkness often endears us to each other, gives us common ground on a soul level-the difference felt between ourselves and others, the following pain and alienation. And, in any case, what was that, that Rhett Butler said to Scarlett O’Hara?

“Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is.”